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IOWA GOLD WHERE TO GO FALL 2001 NEW PAGE!!

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IOWA GOLD;

"Historically, gold has been reported along the Iowa River near Steamboat Rock and Eldora in Hardin County; along Otter Creek near West Union, Brush Creek and the Volga River in Fayette and Clayton Counties; along the Des Moines River near Pella, Douds and Farmington; along Vasser creek in northeast Davis County; and along the Little Sioux River near Correctionville in Woodbury County and near the town of Cherokee. Along the Big Sioux River at Klondike in Lyon County, a small placer mining operation recovered gold from river gravel's in the early 1900s -- Iowa's only known commercial gold mining venture."

"In 1853 an Eldora innkeeper named John Ellsworth reported gold on his farm along the Iowa river. As news of the discovery spread, Iowa experienced its own gold rush. It is estimated that as many as 3,000 would-be miners descended on the Eldora area in search of instant wealth; all left disappointed."

"In 1904 a report on the Geology of Fayette County by T.E. Savage (Iowa Geological Survey Annual Report XV) stated that $1.00 to $1.50 worth of gold could be panned from Otter Creek by a "patient washer" in a day. In 1904 an ounce of gold was worth only $20.67. Today with the value of gold about $300 per ounce, a similar day's work could produce gold worth about $25."

Thought you might find this interesting as one never hears much from or about Iowa. This gold comes out of Minnesota and Canada and was deposited when the Des Moines Lobe was formed. I guess there was about a dozen glaciers truckin' through here periodically.

Gold Locations In Marshall County Iowa

Iowa River

Flour gold has been found in Iowa River about 2.5 miles Northwest of Le Grand at the Three Bridges County Recreation area. Site was once an old mill. Great rapids for operating sluice. Gold was from North side of river, immediately West of the old 1880s bridge (closed off) located in the center of the park. Overburden about 2.5 feet deep if you wish to dredge.

Gold Locations In Mahaska County Iowa

Des Moines River

Fine gold and some flake has been found near the Pella-Harvey bridge that spans the Des Moines River just North of Harvey. River is rip-rapped with old boxcars on North bank at site. Fine gold found in sand layer in river banks on South side and in main channel, if you can get through overburden.

Gold Locations In Jasper County Iowa

South Skunk River

Some flake gold has been panned from channel of South Skunk River, South West of Newton and near HI WAY 14. Gold locations are very spotty, but this has been the most productive site we have found this year.

WAPELLO COUNTY NEAR OTTUMWA

THE 2001 PROSPECTING SEASON IS DRAWING TO A CLOSE AS THE CREEKS ARE GETTING COLD....

BEST PLACES TO TRY IS BEFORE THE CREEK EMPTIES IN TO THE DES MOINES RIVER..

LOCATE A SPOT WHERE YOU CAN SEE BED ROCK ALONG THE CREEK BED THIS WILL BE BETTER FOR THE SMALL TIME OPERATOR TO TAKE A PAN AND DIG DOWN TO THE BED ROCK AND PAN OUT THE MATERIAL... WE DO HAVE GOOD MAGNETITE BLACK SAND AND OTHER STUFF LIKE UP IN ALASKA AS THE GOLD HERE IS GLACIAL DRIFT...

GOLD IS HERE IT IS SMALL LIKE 30 MESH DOWN TO 150 MESH I HAVE YET TO FIND LARGE GOLD HERE IN WAPELLO COUNTY BUT THERE IS NEXT SEASON!!

EQUIPMENT NOTES;

BEACH BOX WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA FOR IOWA, USE BLACK RIBBED MAT IN THE UPPER OF ANY SLUICE AND HIGH BANKER COMBO, SLOW DOWN THE WATER AS MUCH AS YOU CAN BUT KEEP ENOUGH WATER SO YOU CAN KEEP THE BOX CLEAN AS NOT TO LOAD UP WITH QUARTZ ETC.

A 3" OR 4" DREDGE WOULD BE NICE IN THE SPRING IN THE CREEKS TILL LATE APRIL THEN STOP DREDGING TILL MID JUNE FOR THE FISH TO SPAWN. AROUND THE 19th OF JUNE IS A GOOD START UP TIME.

A 2.5" DREDGE LIKE A HIGH BANKER COMBO IS THE MAX LATE IN THE YEAR DRY LIKE THIS ONE.

GOLD IN IOWA IS REAL SMALL SO TAKE YOU TIME DO NOT PAN CONS AT THE SITE TAKE THEM HOME FOR WINTER CLEAN UP. I SEPARATE THE STUFF FROM THE BLACK MAT FROM THE LOWER BOX MOSS AND MAT, I LOOK AT THE MAT STUFF IN CLEANUP AT THE CREEK IF I SEE COLOR I WORK HARDER AND RUN AS LONG AS I CAN IN THE AREA. IF COLOR IS FEW TEST PAN TO FIND THE BEST AREA...

I EVEN HAD SEVERAL FOLKS STOP BY THIS SEASON TO ASK WHAT I WAS DOING.. BE READY FOR THIS SHOW THEM WHAT IS UP AND INTRODUCE THEM TO PANNING!! SOME WELL MOST WILL GET THE FEVER!! LOL!! JUST BE SURE TO TAKE AN EXTRA PAN AND SNUFFER BOTTLE AND EXTRA VILE OR TWO FOR THE OCCASIONAL VISIT!!

I EVEN HAD A VISIT FROM THE SHERIFF JUST TO SEE HOW I WAS DOING!!

AS IN ALL VENTURES ASK THE DNR FIRST!! TELL THE SHERIFF WHERE AND WHAT YOU ARE DOING, ASK LAND OWNERS ADJACENT TO YOUR SPOT LET THEM KNOW YOU ARE THERE AND THAT YOU ARE TAKING ALL THE TRASH OUT OF THE STREAM THAT YOU FIND!!

I TOOK OUT AT LEAST 200 LBS. OF GLASS, 500 LBS. OF METAL THIS LAST 3 MONTHS!! IT ALL ADDS UP!! SEVERAL POP CANS WORTH $.05 EACH IN IOWA NOW. AT LEAST 500 LBS OF LEAD SHOT!! TOO BAD LEAD WAS NOT THE PRICE OF GOLD LOL I WOULD BE RICH!!

USE A METAL DETECTOR EARLY IN THE SEASON AND WHEN THE WATER IS DOWN TO FIND THE LEAD SHOT AND SINKERS THIS IS WHERE THE GOLD WILL BE!! THE NEW GMT WOULD BE GOOD FOR THE BLACK SAND LOCATOR TOO!!

BLEACH IS GOOD FOR SOAKING YOUR MATERIAL HERE TO CLEAN IT UP BEFORE YOU RUN IT IN A WHEEL OR MINI CLEAN UP OPERATION, SOAK IT FOR A MONTH OR TWO BEFORE YOUR RUN IT!!

Glacial Map of North-Central United States

COLOR CODE FOR MAP;

Maximum limit Wisconsin glaciation.

Pre-Wisconsin glacial limit; ice border.

Melt-water channel/valley.

Moraine, esker, kame, etc.

Preglacial buried valley.

Preglacial drainage divide.